Boco The Branch Line Diesel
by Aaron T Izzard
Summary: Book 2 of the Railway series by Aaron T Izzard. Four Stories surounding Edwards Good Friend Boco. Please Read and Review. Oh and Enjoy.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: **I do not own any of the rights to the Wilbert Awdry or Christopher Awdry Books and I do not any of the Characters from the books, TV series or the Movies. This, like my other stories, is for the enjoyment of fans and nothing more. The one thing I do own is the Image and Cover witch I made myself. This is a Tie-In to an Original story by Wild West Express and both he and his story can be found in my Favorites section.

Dear Bridget  
>I am glad to hear you enjoyed my letter; here are some more stories about the other engines of our Railway. I mentioned in my last letter that there are some nice diesels. Boco is one of them. Over the years he has come to be a good of mine as well as Douglas, Donald and Duck. On his first day he had a trick played on him by Bill and Ben the tank engine twins. But they don't play tricks on him anymore and, apart from me, is the only other engine who can keep them in order. So here are a few stories of my friend Boco. So much so that while I, Thomas and Percy were in Tokyo Boco was looking after my branch line.<p> 


	2. Chapter 2

I do not own any of W Awdry or his son's material this is just for fun. Please don't sue.

**Boco the Branch Line Diesel **

Hot and Bothered

When I first met Boco, he seemed a kind sort of engine and had good manners too. He didn't really mind what work he did so long as he was busy. Unlike most diesels that came and went Boco wasn't too proud as to ask for help. I remember one time; it was during the first month he had been on the island. I was at my station with a stopping train and taking on water, Duck came in with a ballast train. "Ah; lovely day isn't it Edward?" he said "indeed it is" I said. Presently Boco came in with a long train of about twenty trucks from Bill and Ben's clay works. He was looking a little tired, "are you alright?" I asked, Boco was looking a little red in the face "It's all this heat lately, it's playing Mary with my Cooling system" said Boco. At that time neither Duck nor I knew what a cooling system was.

"What's a cooling system?" asked Duck; Boco explained as he shunted the trucks into the yard. "Well; you see a Diesel engine is very different to a steam engine". "You don't mind being hot you need to be in order to make steam; we don't". "We have to have pipes of cold water pumped around our engines to keep us from overheating". "The least that would happen is a blown cylinder; the worst would be seriously damaging your engine". Duck and I were quite amazed and concerned for our friend, "will you be alright thou?" I asked. Boco gave a nervous smile "I'll be alright after a good rest and cool down a bit" he said. "Why don't you rest in the shed for a while" said Duck "you certainly sound and look like you need it" I said.

Boco smiled but declined the offer "I still have work to do I have to take a scrap train to the smelters" he said. Just then the down signal dropped and still looking a little red in the face Boco trundled away to fetch his next train. Sophist to say, I was more than a little worried for my friend. Boco made good time in reaching the scrap yard; waiting in the siding was the scrap train, three open trucks followed by four or five vans and bringing up the back end was six tub wagons and a ten ton break van. He was soon coupled onto the train and slowly moving out of the yard, heading down the line towards the smelters. The line heading to the smelters run on a downhill incline and is considered an easy rout but when and engine is taking a heavy train up the line it can be a bit of a struggle.

"I'll be alright after I bring the last train back to the junction I'll have a rest in the shed with the others" Boco thought to himself. He soon arrived at the smelters yard and delivered his trucks it was now mid-day and the sun was beaming down hard; Boco could feel himself getting hotter. He was looking forward to that rest in the shed but still had a train to take back to the harbour. He left the scrap train for the shunters and picked up the return train; it was another goods train, with eight long flatbeds full of steel girders and pips. Boco made a silent sigh but knew he had to finish his work; he was coupled up to the train of flatbeds and with a lot of strain and wheel slip he pulled out of the smelters.

As he headed up the incline he started feeling the strain of the trucks "oh dear" he groaned "I'm starting to feel hot" and he was. He bravely tried on for as long as he could but the further he went the hotter he got and the harder his system had to cope. Suddenly Boco felt something inside go pop; little did he and his driver know; Boco was now leaving a trail of water from his cooling system. Boco just kept getting hotter and hotter "I fell all Hot and bothered driver; I think something's wrong" said Boco, and he was right. Presently his engine started to falter and back firing; finally he come to a complete stop. His driver opened the side panel and took a look at his engine "I think one or two of your cooling pipes have come loose and I can't reach them" said his driver "that's a job for the works".

As luck would have it Daisy was passing with a stopping passenger train she came to an emergency stop when she saw Boco. "Bless my fitter" she exclaimed "what's happened to you?" she asked; Boco sighed "I've failed could you send for someone to help?" he asked. Daisy smiled; she took any and all opportunities to be a really useful engine "I'll head for the sheds and spare no speed" she said. With a polite Toot of her horn she rushed away to get help. It didn't take her long to reach the sheds; I, Donald and Douglas were already there when she arrived. Donald and Douglas gave her a look "What'a yu doin here? This be our sheds" the twins said "it's an emergency! Boco has broken down on the way from the smelters" she said. The three of us looked at her in shock "Yon Boco has broken down? The poor engine" Donald exclaimed "we must rescue him at once" I said and we soon worked out a plan.

I went on ahead to inform Sir Toppen Hat, while Daisy showed Donald and Douglas the way there. When Boco saw the Caledonian twins coming round the bend Boco beamed from buffer to buffer "well aren't you two a sight for sore eyes" said Boco. The twins smiled "D'na worry Boco we'll have ye back home soon" they laughed. Boco was uncoupled from the train and while Donald took the flat trucks, Douglas helped Boco home. After I had explained what happened to the Sir Toppen Hat I Headed back to the sheds, Boco and Douglas where there explaining what happened to Duck when I came in. Boco was looking better than he had done earlier in the day "glad to see you looking better already" I sad to Boco "I feel better too, but I still need to go to the works tomorrow for new hoses for my cooling system" said Boco. Early next morning Douglas took Boco to the works; he wasn't gone for very long, only a day or so. When Boco came home me, Duck and the Caledonian twins gave him a grand welcome home.

Boco learned that day that you must take things in moderation, and that if you're feeling hot and bothered don't hesitate to stop and take a rest. Now Boco is never afraid to ask for help if he's not feeling well and I, the twins and Duck are always there to help.


End file.
